UNIMED unveils strategies for financial independence

* Matriculates 234 freshmen
The Vice Chancellor of University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo, Prof. Friday Okonofua, has unveiled sustainability plans for the institution to smoothly accomplish its programmes despite the economic meltdown in the country.

During a briefing preceding the maiden matriculation of the 234 pioneer students of the institution, Okonofua said with dwindling national and state resources from the oil sector, the state government has been widely criticised for setting up the university.

However, the institution according to him, recently gained the recognition of the National University Commission (NUC) as the 140th Nigerian university in April 2015.

He said UNIMED now has over 102 staff and a functional Senate, adding that the lack of money wasn’t Nigeria’s problem, but a lack of great ideas or where there are ideas, the inability to implement them faithfully.

He said, “When you have great ideas, money will come to drive the implementation of the idea and, of course, all progressive people will support the idea. The idea UNIMED is one of the most creative and innovative ideas that have taken place in the development of tertiary education, especially in the development of medical education in this country.

To this end, I am convinced without any single iota of doubt that the UNIMED has come to stay and will be supported by all Nigerians in perpetuity”.

He further stated that UNIMED has established a multi-functional and professional fund-raising office headed by a former professor at the University of Maryland, United States, who is now resident in Ondo City.

He explained that the Governing Council of the institution established “Friends of UNIMED Fund (FUF)” for the purpose of obtaining the resources to grow the university to attain its mission and vision statements.

Other plans the institution has embarked upon, like the herbal farm for production of local drugs and vaccine, he said, would also benefit from the project and give the university a leading role in research work and transfer of knowledge globally.

He assured that the sustainability plan would generate a cohort of friends who will make regular donations towards the implementation of the five academic courses accredited by NUC and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) last year.

Meanwhile a total of 97 students were matriculated into Medicine (54 at 100 level and 43 at 200 level), 36 into Dentistry (21 at 100 level and 15 at 200 level), 32 at 100 level Biochemistry, 34 at 100 level Anatomy and 35 at 100 level Physiology.